Rev. William "Bill" Kren, age 72, died peacefully on Friday, September 6, 2019, at his home in Garden City, Michigan after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on September 16, 1946, to Frank and Virginia (Morey) Kren and was the oldest of seven children. Bill married Elizabeth "Sue" (DePugh) Kren in 1968 and shared 51 amazing years with her. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons Derek (Janet) Kren, Jason (Lana) Kren, and his daughter Maria (Brett) Doyon, and grandchildren Lauren Kren, Ashlan Celesky, and Joshua Hucul.

Bill was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but called Detroit home after his family moved to Michigan in the early 1950s. After graduating from Western High School in 1964, he joined the United States Army and served one tour of duty in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966; he was honorably discharged in January, 1968. He married Sue on February 24, 1968.

After working several years at Great Lakes Steel in Detroit, Bill devoted his life to the ministry and attended Asbury College and Ashland Seminary. For over 35 years, he served churches in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, the most recent being the Dearborn Congregational Church in Dearborn, Michigan. He also held senior administrative positions with The Evangelical Church, including a six-year stint as a District Superintendent. He retired from the ministry in December 2018.

In addition to his church ministry, Bill was very active in the communities he served. Between 2003 and 2010, he served three terms as Director of the Greater Romulus Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, he was recognized as the 33rd Romulus Person of the Year.

Bill was known for his devotion to his family, his selflessness, and his sense of humor. He was a voracious reader of religious, political, and science fiction books, loved watching movies, and listening to classical music and classic rock. Bill was nicknamed "The Sermonator" after a character in one of his all-time favorite films, The Terminator. As a die-hard sports fan, he loved University of Michigan football and Detroit Red Wings hockey. He attended many football games at Michigan Stadium over the years and even braved sub-freezing temperatures to watch the Red Wings play there in 2014.

Family, friends, and others whose lives Bill touched are invited to attend his visitation and funeral. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the family to defray the cost of funeral expenses.

Visitation will be Monday, September 9, 2019, beginning at 2:00pm until 8:00pm at the Taylor Chapel of Howe-Peterson Funeral Home, 9800 Telegraph Rd., Taylor Mi.

Funeral Service will be Tuesday, September 10th, 10:00am at St. Paul United Church of Christ, 24158 Goddard Rd, Taylor Mi.